Slug ejector



- March 11, 1930.

A. s. ROSS v 1,749,986

SLUG EJECTOR Filed Aug. 22, 1927 2'Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE Y.

i Patented Mar. 11, 1930 PATENT; OFFICE ALBERT S. BOSS, 01? DALLAS, TEXAS SLUG- EJEGTOR Application filed. August 22, 1927. Serial No. 214,515.

This invention relates to slug ejectors for coin-actuated money changers, vending machines and thelike, and hasfor its general object the provision of certain new and useful 5 fraud preventive means adapted to eject slugs,

and to convey coins of the proper denomination to the machine designed to be operated thereby. l a

A specific object of the invention is to pro- .vide new and useful means to eject all slugs which are too light, too heavy or too thin.

Another specific object is the provision of new and useful means adapted for use with a coin-actuated money changing machine, -vending machine orthe like, to eject all slugs and coins after the supply of change, goods or the like in the magazine of the machine is exhausted or diminished a predetermined amount. 1 i

Various other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear.-

In the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the slug ejector assembled with a money changer; Fig. 2, a side elevation, with the easing-removed; Fig. 3, a sectional side elevation with one side wall ofthe casing, one of the partition plates, and some of the parts .removed; Fig. 4, a sectional side. elevation with saidside wall and a portion of the said partition plate removed; and Fig. 5, a fragmentary perspective detail view of the weighing beam and associated parts.

It is to be understood at the outsetthat the slug ejector provided by this invention may be used with machines other than the money changer shown by the drawings and hereinafter briefly. described.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a suitable casing within which the slug ejector and money changer may bemounted. It is provided with a depositslot 16 through which operating coins may be inserted, a discharge slot 36 through which slugs are ejected, and a change tray2 to which the money changer may convey change after its reception of the proper coin. Only oneftray 2 need be used, the device shown being provided with two only for the presentation of an attractive appearance. 7 indicates the coin chamber to which deposited coins are directed.

The casing 1 is divided into two compartments by the partition plates 8 and 9, said plates being held in spaced relation by the guides 13 which form a coin passageway 14 with which the deposit slot 16 communicates, screws 12 serving to hold said parts together.

Now the mechanism constituting the preferred embodiment of this invention includes means functioning as follows:

1. To guide all coins of the proper denomination to the machine designed to be operated thereby, so long as the supply magazine of said machine is not exhausted.

. 2. To automatically eject through the slot 36 all slugs that are heavier or thinner than the proper coin.

8. To arrest and detain all slugs that are lighter than the proper coin, until an at- 7 tempt is made to operate the coin-actuated machine with which the slug ejector is used,

whereupon to eject the light slug through the slot 36; and to prevent the insertion of coins and slugs while a light slugis being detained. 4. To-return to the operator all coins or slugs inserted after the supply of-change, goods or the like, of the machine with which the slug ejector is used, is exhausted or diminished to a predetermined amount. Referring particularly to Fig. 3 of th drawings, it will be observed that a coin-selecting beam 18 is pivotally mounted in the path of downwardly moving coins and slugs. The fulcrum 0. of this beam is so disposed with respect to its center of gravity that the beam is normally in the position shown in solid lines, the upper edge thereof being inclined; and the guide 17 so directs the coin 15 that it drops substantially upon the fulcrum a androlls downwardly and to the right on the inclined upper edge of the said beams.

It will be obvious that rotation of the beam in a clockwise direction on its pivot on will be dependent on the weight of the coin and the lever arm, that is, the distance between the pivot 0; and the point of contact of the coin with said edge. And so, to rotate said beam, a light coin will have to roll a much greater distance to theright on said edge than will a heavy coin; and the beam will, of course, be rotated more rapidly by the latter than by the former.

Suitable means for adjusting the beam 18 5 may be provided. Its pivot pin a is shown carried by the bushing 21 adjustably held in the opening 20 in plate 8. See Figs. 3 and 5.

Below the beam 18 is a pin 22, carried by the lever 44, hereinafter more particularly described. Below said pin is the coin passageway 23 and the slug passageway 51; the former communicating with the money changer; and the latter leading to the slot 36, as shown.

Assuming that a coin of the proper denomination is inserted in the deposit slot 16, it will roll downwardly through the passageway 14 and fall substantially upon the fulcrum a of the beam 18. It will then roll to the right on the inclined edge of said beam,

slowly rotating it into the predetermined position indicated by the dotted lines 19 whereupon the coin falls off its end 19. The

position referred to is such with respect to the 5 pin 22 that the coin 15, striking said pin, falls to the right thereof and passes through coin. passageway 23, as shown.

It may here be explained that the pin 22 is. laterally adjustable in the slot 48 of the lever 44. It is so adjusted thatit provides a dividing point for coins and slugs, to prevent the entrance of the former into the slug assageway 51, as above described, and the atter into the coin passageway 23 as hereinafter described.

Now if a slug heavier than a coin of the proper denomination be inserted, it too will fall substantially upon the fulcrum a of the coin-selecting beam. It will then roll to the right on the inclined upper edge of said beam, rapidly rotating it into the predetermined position indicated by the dotted lines 19", whereupon it will fall off the end 19. This position is such with respect to the pin 22, that the slug 38, striking said pin, falls to theleft thereof into the slug passageway 51 and is ejected through the discharge slot 36.

The beam 18 has a longitudinal groove 38" and opening 38, as shown clearly by Fig. 5, and slugs thinner than the proper coin will drop into said groove and through this opening upon the lower guide and will pass out through the slug passageway and discharge slot 36. Should the slug be of such thickness that it becomes caught in the opening 38, it will be forced out of it by the upwardly projecting tongue 39 when the beam 18 is rotated by the actuating member so 24 of the money changer as hereinafter described.

If a slug lighter than the proper coin is inserted, it will roll to the right on the inclined upper edge of the beam 18, and being 05 insufficiently. heavy to rotatesaid beam will come to rest against the lower end of block-' ing lever 40, rotating said lever in an anticlockwise direction about its fulcrum so that the upper end 39 thereof will move into the passageway 14 to prevent the passage therethrough of all coins and slugs. Light slugs are thus arrested and detained and the passage through the entrance passageway of slugs and coins during such detention prevented. The lever 40 is provided with a lug 41 fitting in the recess 42 of the upper guide 13, whereby its rotation is limited; and its pivot pin may be supported by a bushing adjustably fixed in the opening 43 of plate 8.

The means whereby light slugs are released andejected willnow be described. The reciprocatory actuating member 24 of the money changer shown has a lug 33 thereon adapted to engage the lower end of a trip lever 30 which is normally held in the position shown by the spring 29. This trip lever 30 and the beam 18 are operatively connected by the link lever 35 the rotary movement of which is limited by the pin 37 fitting in the arcuate slot shown. Operation of the money changer after the insertion of a proper coin is effected by pushing the member 24 inwardly. Now if the member is pushed inwardly when a light slug is retained as above explained, the lug 33 will engage the lower end of trip lever 30 rotating said lever in an anti-clockwise direction about its pivot cl and thus bringing the inwardly projecting upper end of said lever into engagement with the shoulder 34 of link lever 35, whereby said link lever is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction about its pivot e and made to rapidly rotate the beam 18 in a clockwise direction about its pivot a to permit the light slug to fall from said beam into the slug passageway 51 and thence through the discharge slot 36. (The movements of the elements are indicated by the dotted lines.) The blocking lever 40, then rotates in a clockwise direction to its normal position, the end 39 thereof moving out of passageway 14 to permit the passage of coins therethrough.

Figs. 2 and 4 illustrate the money changer the general operation of which will now briefly be described. The numeral 4 indicates a cylindrical magazine for the coins 6, for a number of which the coin 15 (Fig. 3) is inserted. The magazine 4 may be made in two sections, as shown, connected together by suitable connecting means 5, the rear section 3 thereof being attached to the plate 9 by screws 11. The coins 6 rest upon the reciprocable change ejector 26, which normally held in the position shown by Fig. 4 by the spring 29 one end of which is connected to the lever 30 or some substantially stationary element, and the other end of which is connected to the change'ejector at c. The coin 15, approved by the slug ejector and thereby directed to the coin passageway 23, falls downwardly between the shoulder 72 of the actuating member 24 and the shoulder 27 of the change ejector 26, thus operatively connecting the two.

a When the actuating member 24 is pushed in- Wardly, it slides the change ejector 26 rearwhich it drops into the tray 2. Suitable means may be provided to release the coin 15 to permit it to drop through the slot 28 into the money chamber 7, as indicated by Fig. 3.

Attention is now invited to the means whereby coins arereturned to the operator when the supply of change is exhausted. The pin 22, hereinabove referred to, is carried by the lever 44 pivoted at g to the support 45 held on the magazine 4 by the screws 46. The lever 44 has a lower end 47 bearing against the stack of coins 6.

When the supply of said coins is exhausted or diminished to a number less than that necessary to make change, so that the lower end 47 of the lever is no longer supported thereby, the lever swings from the position shown by Fig.4 to the position shown by Fig. 2, the pin 22 being moved into the coin passageway 23 to positively prevent the passage therethrough of operating coins 15, and to direct said coins into the slug passageway 51 from which they pass through the discharge slot 36.

When the coins 6 in the magazine 4 are reduced to a number less than that necessary to make change, the roller 49 on the end 47 of the lever 44 will roll inwardly over the uppermost of said coins and tilting of said uppermost coin and consequent resistance to the swinging of said lever. will thereby be avoided.

The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment herein illustrated and described, and various changes may be made i without departure from the scope of the 01- lowing claims.

I claim:

1. A slug ejector having a coin-selecting beam, a slug passageway,.said beam having an opening therein through which slugs of less than a predetermined width may pass into said slug passageway, and means to release slugs of greater width caught in said opening and to direct the same into said slug passageway. I

2. A device of the character described having a coin passageway and a slug passageway, a pin dividing said passageways, a pivoted lever by which said pin is carried, a magazine containing elements to be dispensed, said lever being supported by said elements and adapted to swing when said elements are dispensed to move said pin into said coin passageway and therethrough.

3. A slug ejector having an entrance pas sageway, a pivoted coin-selecting beam below said passageway, a coin passageway and a slug passageway below said beam, a pivoted blocking lever adjacent said coin-selecting lever, forming therewith light slug arresting means, and movable by an arrested slug into said entrance passageway, an member operatively connected to said beam and serving to release arrested light slugs and direct the same into said slug passageway.

4. A slug ejector having an entrance passageway, a pivoted coin-selecting beam below said passageway, a pivoted lever adjacent said beam, a coin passageway and a slug passageway below said beam, said beam being rotatable by coins of a predetermined weight to direct said coins into said coin passageway, rotatable by heavier slugs to direct said slugs into said slug passageway, said beam and lever serving to detain lighter slugs, and an prevent the passage of coins an actuating actuating member operatively connected to weight to direct said coins into said co-in passageway, and rotatable by heavier slugs to direct said slugs into said slug passageway, a blocking lever forming with said beam arresting means for lighter slugs and movable by a lighter slug into said entrance passageway to block the same, and means to release arrested lighter slugs and direct the same into said slug passageway.

6. A device of the character described having a coin-selecting beam, a coin passageway and a slug passageway, a pin adapted to dividesaid passageways and movable into said coin passageway, said beam serving to direct coins into said coin passageway and slugs into said slug passageway, a magazine for elements to be dispensed, said pin being supported at its passageway dividing position by said elements, whereby when said elements are dispensed said pin moves into said coin passageway to prevent the passage therethrough of both coins and slugs and to direct said coins and slugs into said slug passageway.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

' ALBERT S. BOSS. 

